Former Jets QB: Teammates have lost confidence in Zach Wilson
Former New York Jets quarterback and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason hasn't been shy about criticizing Jets starter Zach Wilson throughout the season.
That trend continued following New York's 27-6 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
"Zach Wilson just has no clue…Their offense is just stuck in neutral," Esiason said during Tuesday's edition of the WFAN "Boomer and Gio" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "There is no excitement, there's no expectation, there's no leadership. I know Aaron Rodgers is standing on the sideline. I think it's important for him to be around to help Zach through some games like this. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to one thing in the NFL, you either win or you lose."
Wilson took eight sacks, lost two of three fumbles and completed 33-of-49 passes for 263 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against the Chargers. While former quarterbacks such as Hall of Famer Troy Aikman and ESPN's Dan Orlovsky have mentioned that Wilson isn't the only thing negatively impacting the Jets offense this fall, Esiason suggested the 24-year-old has lost members of the locker room for a second straight year.
"There is just no rhythm whatsoever for their offense," Esiason added about the Jets. "It’s almost as if the other 10 guys in the huddle are not even thinking about getting into the end zone, simply because the guy that is supposed to be leading them into the end zone, they all have lost their confidence in."
According to ESPN stats, Wilson begins Week 10 ranked 31st in the NFL among qualified players with a 32.3 adjusted QBR on the season. Perhaps more worrisome, the 4-4 Jets are ranked 31st with an average of 272.9 offensive yards per game.
Despite those numbers, head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Tuesday that Wilson will remain atop the depth chart for the upcoming "Sunday Night Football" game at the 4-5 Las Vegas Raiders.
As for Rodgers, he indicated Tuesday he's not yet close to returning to the lineup from the Achilles tear he suffered in Week 1. He turns 40 years old on Dec. 2 and could be shut down if the Jets reach seven or eight losses before he's medically cleared to face a live defense.
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